Students at OneSchool Global’s Kenley campus have raised £2,820 for Teenage Cancer Trust, smashing their original £250 target through a 14-mile sponsored walk.
The initiative began near the end of the summer term as part of GCSE Citizenship exam preparation. Year 9 students were asked to research a charity, explore its impact locally and nationally, and create a campaign to raise awareness and funds. After debate and discussion, the group chose Teenage Cancer Trust for its vital work supporting young people with cancer.
What started as a modest goal quickly grew. Within weeks, the team exceeded their target, and five months later, they had walked 14.13 miles and raised more than ten times their original ambition. Their success reflects not only teamwork and commitment but also the Learning to Learn framework in action – applying research, planning, and collaboration skills to answer a real-world question.
Student Daniel explained, “We chose to raise funds because each member of the team has known someone that has suffered from cancer. Even though those people weren’t necessarily teenagers at the time, we are all teenagers now and know that we have every possibility of suffering from the disease later in our lives.”
Teacher Craig Hunter praised the effort: “This started with a small idea to answer a big question. The boys grew it into something far beyond what we imagined.”
Julia Bennett from Teenage Cancer Trust visited our Kenley campus to receive the donation and thank the students for their contribution. She said:
“Their compassion, energy and teamwork show the incredible power of young people coming together to make a difference.”
The success has inspired more charitable projects at Kenley, including a Year 10 campaign for Guide Dogs for the Blind and plans for a campus-wide Teenage Cancer Trust initiative.
